Women of the Nation 2017

10 November at 20:00, Clonmel Town Hall.

Clonmel Sinn Féin is hosting this event, an event that will be opened by Mayor Catherine Cllr Carey who is the first Sinn Féin Mayor of Clonmel.

This is a gathering of strong Republican minded women who have, through their courage and resilience, made a positive difference for all of us. These women continue on this journey and on November 10th, we get an opportunity to hear their experiences and learn more about their onward journeys and aspirations.

Liadh Ní Riadh M.E.P. is our guest speaker.

There will also be a speaker from Ireland Supporting Palestinian Youth. Ireland Supporting Palestinian Youth is a non-profit community based group whose mission is to develop, empower and support young people in Palestine to reach their full potential through community based projects.

Ger O’Neill from Co Kildare will be speaking about homelessness. Ger will also be laying a wreath at the tree planted at last year’s Women of the Nation Event.

There will be a public meeting held on Thursday next, 2nd March, in the Park Hotel, Clonmel at 20:00.

The meeting is organised by Dermot O’Leary of the NBRU to discuss the proposed closure of the Bus Éireann service between Dublin and Clonmel.

Councillors, TD’s, and the public are welcome.

It is hoped that Labour Councillor Maurice Shorthall will attend, and outline the unfortunate experiences of Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, when their service was curtailed. A director of Bus Éireann is also expected to attend.

Speaking in Leinster House today, Sinn Féin’s Agriculture spokesperson, Martin Kenny TD, has said that the measures introduced by Minister Michael Creed on the National Reserve were welcome, but do not go far enough.

Deputy Kenny said:

“While I am glad that, at last, the Minister has done something to help young farmers and new entrants to farming for 2017, after leaving them in the lurch last year, these measures do not go far enough to resolve the situation.

“However, €5 million is not enough to deal with the backlog of young farmers who have completed or who are now trying to complete green cert training and who will be seeking entitlements soon.”

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has labelled the government’s social housing delivery for 2016 as “uninspiring and wholly inadequate.” Deputy Ó Broin made the comments on foot of the publication of the Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report for 2016.

He said: “This report shows that only 652 units were delivered in 2016. This is just 8% of the overall number of units currently “in development”. This figure is spread across Local Authorities, Associated Housing Bodies, Capital Assistance projects, rapid builds, regeneration projects, Capital Advance and Leasing projects and turnkey projects.

“Another 21% of the units are on site. However, 34 of the 90 developments described as on site only commenced in the fourth quarter of 2016. The majority of the developments, over 70% of the social housing units announced, are being held up by the cumbersome approval, tendering and procurement rules that the Department of Housing imposes on local Councils. These rules can delay the delivery of social housing by up to 24 months.

“For example, the figures published in this status report worrying show that 89 of the 353 projects stuck in the bureaucratic approvals process have been at the first stage of the process, the capital appraisals stage, since the third quarter of 2015 or before. Over a quarter of the social housing projects currently under development have been stuck at stage one of the approvals and procurement process for 16 months or more.

“This is not good enough given the level of social housing need in this state. Last November I published a document as to how the approval, tendering and procurement regime for social housing could be speeded up. This would consist of a one stage approval process instead of the current four stage process.

“Sinn Féin also recommend that to enable local authorities and Associated Housing Bodies to deliver social housing programmes as quickly as possible the Department of Housing should provide them with, in principle, funding approval for six years to cover the period of the government’s Housing Plan. The Department of Housing must take the time to review its own procedures and see how it can reduce the red tape holding up the delivery of social housing.”

The first motion below, 8.2, submitted by Sinn Fein Councillor, Catherine Carey, was born out of anger from some locals in Clonmel from an incident where Irish Water turned off supply to number of households, including some elderly, without any prior notice. This left many unprepared for having no water for a long period.

A gathering of strong Republican women who have lived in the shadows for too long and who have endured unimaginable pain, intimidation and suffering for our common cause which is freedom, equality and justice for all on the island. The speakers on the night shared their stories and let us have a glimpse into how it was and how it can still be.